The present invention relates to a procedure for producing a composition having an inhibiting effect on hyperproduction of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and which therefore is useful in the manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations. The advancement of scientific knowledge has made it possible to establish the participation of TNF in many pathological processes. TNF is normally produced by monocytes and/or macrophages. This cytokine, which was originally characterized by its tumor necrotic effect and which was subsequently identified as being homologous with cachectin, today is included in the group of substances known as inflammatory cytokines, i.e., those which are produced at inflammation sites by infiltrating mononuclear cells (Jan Vilcek and Tae H. Lee, in J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 266 (1991), at pages 7313 to 7316). Its participation in modulating the manifestation of polymorphonuclear leukocyte adhesion antigens in this context has been described. The hyperproduction of TNF-.alpha. has been described in a large number of pathologies, such as cachexia, septic shock, rheumatoid arthritis due to other autoimmune disorders, parasitic infections, viral infections, etc. Therefore it is important that products be available which are pharmacologically equipped with the ability to inhibit the hyperproduction of TNF. In this context, the inhibition of the production of TNF has been described in various experimental models. For instance, E. Sampaio et al. (in J. Exp. Med., Vol. 173 (1991), at pages 699 to 703) describe the inhibition by means of thalidomide, of the production of TNF by human monocytes stimulated in vitro by lipopolysaccharide (LPS); M. Gardina et al. (in J. Exp. Med., Vol. 173 (1991), at pages 1305 to 1310) describe the effect of chlorpromazine, which consists of the reduction of serum levels of TNF in animals stimulated by LPS; S. Bily et al. (in Int. J. Immunopharm., Vol. 12 ( 1991), at pages 31 to 36) have described the inhibiting effect of quinolones on the production of TNF by human monocytes. Similar effects have been described for indomethacin. The literature contains descriptions of the pharmacological properties of pepsin administered intravenously and with regard to its characteristic effect, i.e., the proteolytic effect. These include the effect on the formation of dental plaque (H. G. Scheider, E. Goebbels, and K. Puechner, in Stomatol. DDR, Vol. 36 (1986), at pages 433 to 438), on Masussi's nephritis (H. Ohnishi, in Nippon Yakurigaku Zasshi, Vol. 83 (1984), at pages 105 to 114), on autoimmune disorders in murine models (H. Ohnishi, in Life Sci., Vol. 33 (1983), at pages 1641 to 1648), and on glomerulonephritis as produced by immunocomplexes (H. Ohnishi, in Life Sci., Vol. 33 (1983), at pages 671 to 677).